Sulfur Dioxide Image Galleries

OMPS Volcanic SO2 Image Archive

This archive is not an
exhaustive list of all volcanic emissions detected by OMPS. Particularly large or otherwise
interesting events will be posted here as time permits.

Images presented in the SO2 column will typically display retrievals
from the current operational SO2 algorithm. In some cases,
offline experimental algorithms may be implemented. Units are milli-atm-cm, also known as
Dobson Units (DU),
where 1 milli-atm-cm = 1 DU = 2.68x1016 molecules cm-2 at STP (0o degs C, 1013.25 hPa). Images in the
Ash/Aerosols column show the OMPS Aerosol Index (AI), which is positive
for UV-absorbing aerosols such as volcanic ash, and can be negative for non-UV
absorbing aerosols such as sulfate. Note that the scale used varies between
plots.
For further information please contact us.

Erupted on May 28, around 22:15 UTC. The eruption lasted about an hour sending a plume of ash at least 10 km and temporarily triggering an aviation alert. This image shows an early detection of the eruption cloud with about 60 DU of SO2 at 23:35 UTC. The SO2 cloud subsequently dispersed to the NE.

Following a day of increased seismic activity, an eruption began at Mt. Etna on December 3, 2015. The eruption was characterized by lava fountaining between 1-2 km for two days and ash plumes between 7-8 km on December 4th. By December 5th, eruption activity was decreasing, with Strombolian and effusive activity continuing for a few days.

Calbuco volcano, in central Chile, began erupting on April 22, 2015 at approximately 2138 UTC with a second eruption at 0408 UTC on April 23, 2015. AIRS and OMPS provided the best plume coverage for volcanic SO2 and mass estimates are 0.2 Tg and 0.24 Tg, respectively, in the first overpasses following the eruption. A CALIPSO overpass on April 23, 2015 shows that the plume reached an altitude of 17-19 km before being transported to the northeast towards Buenos Aires by ambient meteorology.

Fogo began erupting on the morning of Nov 23. The eruption started at a vent on the WSW part of the cone. On the 24th, a sulfur dioxide cloud was observed 220 km NW of Fogo at an altitude of 9.1 km by the Toulouse VAAC. More detailed info here.

This eruption started on Feb 13 between 16:15-16:30 UTC and stopped before 19 UTC. It was a mixture of SO2 gas, ash and water with a plume initially moving westward. OMI/OMPS estimated SO2 released: 150-300 kT (0.15-0.30 Tg), mostly during initial explosion. Very high ash loading detected on Feb 14 (UV Aerosol Index > 10). SO2/ash injection heights were 17-26 km with the bulk of the injection at 19 km, estimated from the CALIPSO overpass at 18 UTC. An additional SO2 source was introduced on 02/17/2014, which mixed with the initial Kelut SO2 plume. Here is a more detailed explanation.